What are the Differences between the Abrahamic Faiths?

[Saltmeister]

Chrsitians worship 3 dieties God, human being & angel. Thus make it very complicated ......they claim that God is One but they associate partners with Him.

Correction. There is no angel in the concept of Trinity. The Holy Spirit is an angel in Islam but not in Christianity.

I think the point that's often missed is that the Trinity is not exactly a "concept of God" but how He expressed and revealed Himself to humanity. Father, Son and Holy Spirit all have the same identity. The Holy Spirit is not seen by all Christians as a separate entity. To some He/It is merely Spirit, which relates to the idea that God is Spirit. In a sense, then, the three names refer to concepts of three things that share the same identity.

As Christians we often emphasise a "threeness in the number of entities" but I think it's really a "threeness in terminology." If the Holy Spirit isn't a separate entity -- that God is Spirit, then God isn't essentially three. The Trinity could therefore be just a way of expressing our relationship with God.

Jesus may be seen by some be a part of God, but may be seen by others as one who shared His identity. By sharing God's identity, Jesus made it possible for people to encounter "God" in a place where God wouldn't normally be experienced. But perhaps what was most important was Jesus' role. Jesus lived in a time of judgmental legalism. It was a time when people were making religion impersonal and dehumanising.

Because religions represent God, and there has always been the possibility that religion could be made into something impersonal and dehumanising, they could infer that God Himself was impersonal -- that human existence could be degraded into a life where we have to follow rules to be accepted by God.

I'm thinking that most importantly, it is not separate teachings in a religion that conceptualise God. The whole, entire religion conceptualises God. A religion that has a concept of God is itself a concept of God. Even teachings that don't have anything directly to do with God still contribute to a concept of God. Anything that explains or defines the purpose of what God created is itself conceptualising God because it has something to say about God.

A lot of people may wonder about the purpose of a religion like Christianity. We're all speculating and coming up with theories. Christianity, I believe, was a declaration by God that He is indeed personal. In Christianity, Jesus was a demonstration of what a personal God was like. Christianity, then, is about a pursuit of a personal relationship with God.

Three deities?

The Holy Spirit, as I said, is not necessarily a separate entity, it merely may suggest that God is Spirit. So the Holy Spirit is not a separate deity.

Is Jesus a Deity? If Jesus had God's identity, then in a sense Jesus was inheriting the qualities of a Deity. You could say it was like God handing Jesus a Torch. That Torch could be seen as God's light in this world. The planets orbiting the sun don't shine with their own light. They reflect the sun's light. A Deity is like a star. God is like a star that shines light on the planets orbiting it. These planets reflect that star's light. You could say then that Jesus therefore inherits the identity of a Deity, but is not himself a Deity in his own right.

In that sense there's only one Deity in Christianity -- God, which Christianity calls the Father.

Our faith is often accused of dividing God into three, but I think that's a misunderstanding of Christianity. The problem is how we're often taught to approach Christianity, not Christianity itself.

There are, actually, two "Trinities" in "Christianity." There is the "Doctrine of the Trinity" that was formulated several centuries after Christ and there is the "Trinity" expressed in the New Testament. The "Doctrine of the Trinity" defines a "God in three." The "Trinity in the NT" does not define a "God in three." It does not even say anything about God being three in one. There is, certainly, a "Trinity" in the New Testament, but not one with which we are familiar. This "Trinity" was a Trinity of terminology -- the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

But perhaps the point I'd like to say is that, "threeness in terminology in a concept of God" does not imply "threeness in God." It does, however, suggest that the terms used in that terminology are closely related to the concept of God.

At least for now, I could say that Father, Son and Holy Spirit are indeed One, but not in the number of entities involved. They are one in identity. By "one in identity" I do not mean "one in purpose," but "one" as in all those entities sharing the same essential qualities of character that they are essentially the same person appearing in multiple entities.

I think Christianity's reasoning is the idea that God putting His own identity in another being was to declare that a relationship with God is ultimately personal, that one can approach such a relationship in the same way as we do with other human beings. The idea is not to assign "human qualities" to God, but to declare that God is compatible with human beings and capable of making Himself understood in human terms.

So perhaps Jesus wasn't about "making God human" as some suggest, but declaring that "humans beings can understand God" and that "God is personable."

 

[Karimarie]

Which parts are wrong? Islam doesn't have a 'Messiah' as far as I know, and Judaism's canon comprises a lot more than the Tanakh.

 

[Seeker_of_truth]

I dont know about that. God only has a relationship with those who come to him His way, and thats through His Son, Jesus. You dont have Jesus, you dont have God.

Wouldn't it be more correct to say if you don't have Christ you don't have God?

 

[wil]

One difference seems to be that Jews quietly live their faith. Celebrating the glory of G-d with family and friends. Christians and Muslims spend an inordinate amount of time telling each other and anyone that will listen (and some who won't) that the only way to heaven is their way.

 

[Quahom1]

One difference seems to be that Jews quietly live their faith. Celebrating the glory of G-d with family and friends. Christians and Muslims spend an inordinate amount of time telling each other and anyone that will listen (and some who won't) that the only way to heaven is their way.

Now that is a stereotypical statement if I ever read one, and quite surprising coming from you.

 

[wil]

Now that is a stereotypical statement if I ever read one, and quite surprising coming from you.

I think you are correct in both counts. But am I wrong? I do a lot of interfaith work, and this is judging from observation. Most religions outside of Abrahamic I see are not on the recruitment bandwagon either, exceptions would be Hare Krishna and some of the smaller sects which get bad raps. Other than Islam and Christianity there exists a lot of live and let live aspects to religion. And inside both of these religions there are large islands of folks and sects that do not fit this mold...but as you said, as a stereotypical generalization, I feel fairly comfortable making the statement.

And I'd say many of those that have that mindset would be quick to agree with me that they are right, and the world is wrong, and the rest will suffer for their decisions.

 

[Amica]

Judaism: One God who created humans in his image; most powerful created everything; line of Hebrew prophets recognized with the Messiah still awaited

Christianity: God with 3 heads, a Trinity, a godman who created humans in his image and sacrificed his son for the sins of humanity; main characted of belief is the godman Jesus; recongnizes Hebrew Prophets and Jesus as the promised jewish Messiah

Islam: One God not like any of His creation, above everything; He says 'Be' and something is; recognizes all Hebrew Prophets, including Messaiah Jesus pbuh, plus hundreds of other prophets from the past mentioned only by the number in the Holy Qur'an

Judaism: OT completes the Message

Christianity: OT and NT complete the Message

Islam: recognizes OT, NT and Qur'an as the Word of God. It highlights the Qur'an as the Last Testament, confirming previous Messages and re-stating what was previously believed to be lost/changed/forgotten

Judaism: does not hate Jesus, but does not recognize him as the Messiah

Christianity: Jesus was the Messiah and believed to be a godman

Islam: Jesus was one of the greatest Prophets, the spirit bestowed upon his mother as a miracle to humanity, very much like Adam pbuh in the way he was created and is the Messiah promised to the Jewish people; Jesus is not a godman in Islam, but a great prophet and the Messiah.

 

[Dor]

Christianity: God with 3 heads, a Trinity, a godman who created humans in his image and sacrificed his son for the sins of humanity; main characted of belief is the godman Jesus

Christianity: Jesus was the Messiah and believed to be a godman

Of course no Christian has ever said either of these only muslim say that Christians think god has 3 heads or Jesus is godman.

If you want to slam a religion thats fine dont try to pass it off as some truth though.

 

[Amica]

Hello.

I am not an expert on any religion, I just follow my own path.

I am sorry if I hurt your feelings, but how do you explain the Father, the Spirit and the Son in Christianity?

When one asks Christians if they believe in One God, they say yes. When you ask them to explain the three above, they put it sort of like: one Being with three spirits/three god heads in One Godhead... So what am I supposed to say to that?

If you have a better explanation, or a way to phrase it, please be my guest.
Not only a Muslim might say it the way I phrased it, but there are some other people out there who are quiet just as confused about the concept of trinity.

 

[Amica]

One more thing:

To my knowledge majority of Christians believe Jesus to be devine: a son of God, a god on his own or God incarnated. Some claim that he was 100% human and 100% God. So, since he was certainly in human form on Earth, and at the same time considered to be a god by Christians, then he is considered to be a godman?

 

[Muslimwoman]

as salaam aleykum

Wow what a lot of telling other people what they believe on this thread. Should we not ask other faiths their beliefs rather than state, incorrectly, what they believe?

Of course Muslims believe in Jesus (pbuh), he was an amazing Prophet. As for telling each other who will be accepted by G-d and who won't - I laughed my socks off, this is only for G-d to decide.

It is so sad that Postmaster suggested we look for similarities and no-one took him up on his offer (other than Wil's thumbs up). There are so many similarities, so why always look for the negative?

May I attempt to start the ball rolling. In Islam we believe:

In angels, demons and Jinns (like a bad genie).

Our salvation is through adherence to our faith, good deeds and the Five Pillars (being 1. Shahadah (declaration of faith) 2. Salah (daily prayers) 3. Zakat (almsgiving) 4. Sawm (fasting during Ramadan) 5. Hajj (pilgrimage)).

So what does your faith believe?

Salaam

 

[Saltmeister]

One difference seems to be that Jews quietly live their faith. Celebrating the glory of G-d with family and friends. Christians and Muslims spend an inordinate amount of time telling each other and anyone that will listen (and some who won't) that the only way to heaven is their way.

I think the differences in behaviour between adherents of the three faiths have a lot to do with the perceived purpose of that faith.

Judaism was a religion born out of the identity of being rescued from slavery by the Egyptians and being labelled as a "nation of God's people" -- the nation of Israel. This "identity" didn't make Judaism any less universal. It was the first time God had chosen any group of people and dedicated them as "His people." It was perhaps the only time God gave any group of people the identity of "the nation of God's people" (Christianity and Islam being derived from that idea) and Judaism was therefore, a religion concerned with what it meant for any group of people to acquire that identity and keep it. That identity was predominantly bound by heritage. If you were born as an Israelite, you were usually "Jewish." But it was possible for foreigners to become a part of that nation, thereby inheriting that identity. If you were Jewish, you were one of God's people. If you were not Jewish, you could never be one of God's people.

Judaism was solely about acquiring and keeping the identity of being one of God's people, but it was not a "philosophy" used to impress people. A Jew did not go around saying to people, "Look!! I have this wonderful religion from God that is better than all of the other religions in the world. It is the only true religion." It was a matter of right and wrong. It was not used to impress people. You either wanted to be one of God's people or you didn't. There was to be no fun and games or song and dance on the matter. It was a solemn decision.

Christianity and Islam could be seen as ways in which it was believed non-Jews could acquire and retain that same identity as God's people.

But before we start wondering why Christians and Muslims approach they faiths differently, one should consider what Judaism means to Jews today. Not being a Jew, I may be at a loss to explain why Christians and Muslims can be so . . . in-your-face? So hooked into an I've-got-the-answer attitude? -- and why Jews aren't like that. But here are some ideas. Bananabrain and Dauer might give some deeper insights.

My perception of the modern Jew is that a Jew chooses to be Jew not because of his heritage, but because he is proud of being Jewish. Being Jewish is about being proud of your identity. Part of that identity has to do with the time-honoured tradition of devotion to the concepts of Judaism and what it means to be one of God's people. A Jew shows, to the world, what it means to hold onto an identity of being one of God's people by upholding the same concepts as were introduced when Moses took the Israelites into the wilderness. Not all Jews may be as I just described, but this is quite different from what it means to be Christian or Muslim.

This is perhaps where Christians and Muslims may have differed in their approach to their respective faiths. The thing about Christianity and Islam is that it is the belief that since Moses and the other Prophets, God sent special messengers to proclaim a new message with new instructions for God's people. Of course, if God was issuing new instructions and a new message (the other prophets were addressing the "old message" and "old instructions"), then obviously that meant that the "identity of God's people" was going to change. Right? Right. New instructions meant that to remain as one of God's people you had to change your attitude and thinking. It was an identity redefined and people had to migrate to that new way of seeing their identity as one of God's people. From the Jewish point of view, Christians and Muslims incorrectly identified someone as Messiah, making that message invalid.

But my intention isn't to dispute these things or discuss the dispute itself, but rather, consider where this might lead us.

If a group of people spend centuries following traditions and upholding concepts that define their identity as one of God's people, there must be a reason for letting go of that way of life. Preserving that identity was the most important thing for a Jew. The identity was to be respected and taken seriously. But if someone was going to come along and say, "Hey guys!! There is a new definition for being one of God's people," there had to be a good reason -- and it had better be a good one. I'm not buying into any warped theories. You had better have a good explanation. God wouldn't just introduce a religion with concepts that identified individuals as His people and then suddenly scrap that religion and redefine that identity again and again. God wouldn't be so fickle and indecisive. He's God, not a man. He does not change his mind.

You guessed it. There had to be a paradigm shift. A shift in thinking. It was not so much that the identity of God's people wasn't important. The time had come for God to define the identity of His people with bigger concepts. In Christianity, it was because God's people were waiting for Jesus. For Islam, it was because humanity was waiting for the Quran, that the Jewish sacred texts were not really God's word, but human speculation. God was throwing a Book down for us to read for the first time. If there was going to be a paradigm shift, the paradigm had to be something fancy and wonderful. It had to be Something Big.

So why do Christians and Muslims have to be "triumphalist" about their faiths? It's because they have to convince people that some 2,000 or 1,400 years ago there was a paradigm shift and they've got the biggest religion imaginable. With so many different religions floating around you have to be sensationalist and use some showmanship to push the idea that the paradigm you have is beyond human imagination.

The Jew's life is a lot easier in that sense. A Jew doesn't have to convince anyone that there was a paradigm shift some time in the history of humanity. God did all He needed to do some 3,000 years ago when He sent Moses to liberate the Israelites from captivity in Egypt. A Jew doesn't have to think about no paradigm shift. He can just mind his own business. He doesn't have to justify trashing someone else's religious identity. There is no such thing.

If that doesn't explain why Jews don't behave like Christians and Muslims do with their faith, this may be explained by the fact that a Jew's identity rests on heritage, not a paradigm. Christians and Muslims essentially don't have a heritage, except perhaps for Judaism itself. Their identity rests on a paradigm. It's more likely for people brag and boast about paradigms than heritage. It's to do with going on ego trips with religion.

 

[Faithfulservant]

In angels, demons and Jinns (like a bad genie).

Our salvation is through adherence to our faith, good deeds and the Five Pillars (being 1. Shahadah (declaration of faith) 2. Salah (daily prayers) 3. Zakat (almsgiving) 4. Sawm (fasting during Ramadan) 5. Hajj (pilgrimage)).

So what does your faith believe?

Salaam

My beliefs are this.. God humbled himself was born of a virgin and the Holy Spirit.. became flesh. The same God that walked in the garden with Adam and Eve and walked with Abraham and spoke to Moses through the burning bush. The same God that wrestled with Jacob. When He became flesh I know His name, Jesus Christ. on Earth He was fully man tempted as I am in all points.. yet remained without sin. He was fully God walking the earth in flesh. He provided Himself as a lamb to shed His blood to cover my sins once and for all.

My salvation is grace through faith I am saved by believing on Him...not by anything I could do myself...

I believe He died on the cross and was resurrected He spoke to 300 people including Apostles and His mother...and then ascended into heaven.. Christ is risen and He is alive...and I am waiting for His return to snatch me away to be with Him and I will ride with Him on a white horse as He defeats the anti-Christ with one word and returns this world to be ruled with righteousness.

I believe when He left the world He left the comforter and the helper who I call the Holy Spirit.. which dwells within me and whoever else calls Jesus Lord and Savior. I practice communion which is symbolism and a covenant between Himself and His bride. That we remember what He did on this earth.. that He shed His blood so we are guiltless before God. That His flesh is the bread of life that is spiritual life and not physical.

I believe in baptism as a command given by my Lord. Not for salvation but as a public declaration of the death of my old self and the birth of my new self through Jesus Christ.

 

[Snoopy]

I think the differences in behaviour between adherents of the three faiths have a lot to do with the perceived purpose of that faith.

..........

If that doesn't explain why Jews don't behave like Christians and Muslims do with their faith, this may be explained by the fact that a Jew's identity rests on heritage, not a paradigm. Christians and Muslims essentially don't have a heritage, except perhaps for Judaism itself. Their identity rests on a paradigm. It's more likely for people brag and boast about paradigms than heritage. It's to do with going on ego trips with religion.

I really enjoyed reading this; very cogent I thought. Thanks.

s.

 

[Abdullah]

Islam is verry simmilar to Christianity and Judaism.

Muslims believe that the first man and woman created by God was Adam and Eve [pbut], who got decieved by satan into eating the forbidden fruit, and thus got expelled from Paradise and put on earth.

God said to Adam [pbuh], that He will send him guidance and whoever follows the guidance, for him/her is heaven [in the hereafter] and whoever rejects it/does not follow it, for him/her is the hell-fire, thus Adam was the first Prophet of his nation and after Adam [pbuh] died...God sent other Prophets to renew the message.

I think all three Abrahimic religions more or less agree on the above. We even believe in the same Prophets, such as Noah, David, Job, Solomon [or do the Christians believe he was just a king and not a prophet?], Abraham, Enoch, Isaac, Lot, Jacob, Joseph, Aaron, Moses, etc, may peace be upon them all.

Where we differ is that, the Jews reject Jesus and Muhammad [pbut] and Christians reject Muhammad [saw] and take Jesus [pbuh] for their God.

Islam says all Prophets never commited a sin in their lives, and infact were divinely protected from even minor sins, while Christianity and Judaism? says that they [some of them?] commited sins, even grave sins.

Whereas Jews Believe that revelation ended with the Torah, and the Christians, with the Bible, Islam says that Prophethood ended with the Prophet Muhammad [SAW], and the last and final and updated revelation OF God is the Holy Quran which all of mankind are commanded to follow.

Islam teaches that all the Prophets of God were Muslims [one who submits to God] who called people towards the One and Only God, and the religion they brought from God was allways Islam [total submission to the will of God]. It says that the principles and practices of the religion did undergo changes with the advent of Messengers [great Prophets], and it was perfected and finalised with the advent of the last Messenger Muhammad [saw].

The Islamic view of the other Abrahimic religions is that, their divine scriptures have been distorted and they have gone astray to the point where they even join partners to God. And that with the advent of the Prophet Muhammad [saw], their religions have been abrogated and thus are no longer valid.

Peace be upon all

 

[Muslimwoman]

Delighted to see we all took up the idea of looking for similarities, perhaps this small example demonstrates why the world of religion is constantly battling?

is the Holy Quran which all of mankind are commanded to follow.

Brother Abdullah. Please can you tell us your interpretation of this verse of the Quran:

Those who believe (in the Qur'an), and those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Christians and the Sabians,- any who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. (2:62)

Forgive me but I see nothing here that suggests the whole world must follow the Quran.

I believe in baptism as a command given by my Lord. Not for salvation but as a public declaration of the death of my old self and the birth of my new self through Jesus Christ.

Hi Faithfulservant

Why do you think G-d needs us to make a public declaration? Surely what is important is what is in our hearts? Most baptism is porfomed when a person is a small baby, they are unable to understand what is going on. To say "the death of your old self" suggests a cleansing of sins but a baby cannot have committed any sins.

A Jew doesn't have to think about no paradigm shift. He can just mind his own business. He doesn't have to justify trashing someone else's religious identity.

Saltmeister

Please read the verse from the Quran above, it doesn't quite fit with your idea that we all rush around saying we are right and everyone else is wrong does it? So are you suggesting that G-d only ever felt the need to guide one group of people and the rest could go hang?

Salaam

 

[Faithfulservant]

Hi Faithfulservant

Why do you think G-d needs us to make a public declaration? Surely what is important is what is in our hearts? Most baptism is porfomed when a person is a small baby, they are unable to understand what is going on. To say "the death of your old self" suggests a cleansing of sins but a baby cannot have committed any sins.

Hi Muslimwoman.

You misunderstand.. God needs nothing from us. Its for us and for the body of Christ to stand together amd declare to one another and to the world that we are set apart and belong to Jesus Christ.

I do not believe in infant baptism.. So that does not apply to my belief system.

I disagree about babies being without sin.. noone is without sin.. they just have not learned right from wrong which is what we teach our children..Just like God teaches us.

I have to teach my children not to lie or steal or talk back to me. I have to teach them to respect elderly people and to be kind to others. When parents stop taking control of their childrens behavior we have outbreaks of violence and crime.. All we have to do is watch the news. We see the same when we do not follow the bible and the law of Jesus Christwe see outbreaks of hatred and violence because we are not loving each other as Christ loved us.

 

[Muslimwoman]

I do not believe in infant baptism.. So that does not apply to my belief system.

I disagree about babies being without sin.. noone is without sin.. they just have not learned right from wrong which is what we teach our children..Just like God teaches us.

Hi Faithfulservant

I am delighted to hear you don't believe in infant baptism but saddened to hear you think babies are born sinful. Yes parents must teach their children right from wrong but to commit a sin you must understand it is a sin and still do it. It is my understanding that doctors say childrens brains are not able to function in this way until they reach early teens.

May I just share an interesting bit of Egyptian psychology with you. My father in law arranged most of the work on my new apartment and I was delighted to see the name of G-d in Arabic carved into the front door. He explained to me that if anyone (Christian or Muslim) decided to break into my home to commit a crime they must first look at the name Allah. This will remind them of G-d and that what they are about to do is a sin in G-d's eyes. So if they still break in they know they are committing a sin rather than just a crime. I think that is so clever and my thanks to G-d the crime rate against homes and people in their homes in our town is virtually zero.

Salaam

 

[Saltmeister]

Please read the verse from the Quran above, it doesn't quite fit with your idea that we all rush around saying we are right and everyone else is wrong does it? So are you suggesting that G-d only ever felt the need to guide one group of people and the rest could go hang?

It's not the verse. It's the people!!!!

I rarely hear a Jew say, "My religion is better than your's. I've got the truth you don't. Your religion is corrupted. Your sacred texts have been corrupted. Now the truth has been revealed and you must realise what it means . . . repent of your errors and turn back to the True Path . . ."

It comes more from Christians and Muslims. I hardly ever hear that from Jews. My impression is that we've been taught badly. I believe because we're taught we have some "paradigm shift" that somehow it means we can sing praises, wave banners, chant slogans and thump people with bumper stickers.

I see it happening every now and then in the forums. I've been here for almost two years now and I've kind of got used to it. (Apologies if I participated in any of it during the discussions I've had in the last two years at CR.)

I've heard some say before that "I like your Christ/Islam but I don't like your Christians/Muslims."

 

[Quahom1]

It's not the verse. It's the people!!!!

I rarely hear a Jew say, "My religion is better than your's. I've got the truth you don't. Your religion is corrupted. Your sacred texts have been corrupted. Now the truth has been revealed and you must realise what it means . . . repent of your errors and turn back to the True Path . . ."

It comes more from Christians and Muslims. I hardly ever hear that from Jews. My impression is that we've been taught badly. I believe because we're taught we have some "paradigm shift" that somehow it means we can sing praises, wave banners, chant slogans and thump people with bumper stickers.

I see it happening every now and then in the forums. I've been here for almost two years now and I've kind of got used to it. (Apologies if I participated in any of it during the discussions I've had in the last two years at CR.)

I've heard some say before that "I like your Christ/Islam but I don't like your Christians/Muslims."

Well said.